Aiden Price
Aiden Price was the former Counselor of Project Freelancer who acted as the therapist to the Freelancer agents as well as the apparent right hand of the Director himself. He serves as a minor character and antagonist in the Recollections a supporting antagonist in the Project Freelancer Saga and (along with Sharkface who he shares the role with) the quaternary antagonist of Season 13. Role in Plot Project Freelancer The Counselor is first seen with the Director overlooking the mission of the Bjørndal Cryogenics Research Facility, where he states that the Freelancer team might not be best for the job, but the Director reassures him. When the team, consisting of agents North, South, and Carolina, return from their mission the Counselor updates the board, putting North ahead of South. He was later seen with the Director inside the Training Room, where the Director yells at the Agents watching the fight involving Texas, York, Wyoming, and Maine. The Counselor then assists the Director during a briefing to recover the Sarcophagus. When the mission begins, the two discover the Freelancers in danger atop the 110 story building. The Counselor tries to tell the Director something but is told to shut up. With the mission a success, the Counselor and Director are seen speaking with a newly born Delta, gently correcting him when he believed himself to be the Alpha. In Season 10, Project Freelancer battle the Insurrection at the UNSC Scrap Metal Recycling Station, where the Counselor closely assists the Director. When enemy actions cease, the Counselor spots the Staff of Charon, an Insurrectionist destroyer. The destroyer attacks the Mother of Invention and gains the upper hand, but soon leaves. After the failed mission of capturing the Insurrectionist Leader, the Counselor oversees Theta and North's simulation test. He explains to York that Theta was specifically given to North because of North's nurturing nature. A.I. Implantations The Counselor, along with the Director, is then seen lecturing the Freelancers about A.I. theory. Sigma, Maine's A.I., asks the Counselor about "Metastability", the fourth stage of A.I. rampancy. The Counselor answers by explaining to Sigma that he cannot reach that stage due to the fact that he is a fragment, but Sigma reassures him by stating that it is still possible. After class, the Director tells the Counselor that a new A.I. fragment has been harvested and orders him to find it a match. Surprised by this, the Counselor states that the harvesting is ahead of schedule, but the Director orders him to find it a match regardless, as their time is short. When Carolina informs the two of C.T.'s location, the Director orders her to obtain her armor. After the failure of the mission, the Counselor and Director speed up the A.I. implantations. While talking with Texas about her increased aggression, the Director and Counselor are interrupted by Carolina who angrily demands an A.I. The Counselor attempts to calm her down, but the Director scolds him and agrees to Carolina's request. After her implantation, Carolina battles Tex in an unscheduled match, but soon enters severe pain when her A.I. react to the Director yelling "No, Allison!" The Counselor then suggests to help Carolina by sedating her, but the Director refuses. Afterward, the Counselor and Director are seen torturing the Alpha, telling him lies in order for him to create a new A.I. When Epsilon is split, the Counselor orders a few soldiers to release the Huragok to finalize the operation. With Epsilon's birth a success, the Counselor and Director implant him into Agent Washington, but the operation goes awry and Wash is sedated. Afterward, Tex goes rogue and battles through multiple Freelancer foot soldiers, forcing the Director and Counselor to take action. They send Carolina to hunt down Texas, but the latter and Tex engage in fierce combat. This results in the Mother of Invention crash landing on an ice planet, where Tex flees and Maine attacks and "kills" Carolina. After the break-in, the Director and Counselor decide to move Alpha to a more secure location. The Counselor enlists Agent Florida to protect the Alpha and suggests a place where no one would ever think to find him. After Agent Florida's passing however, the Counselor suggested to the Director that they get in touch with Agent Texas via an independent contact and disclose the location of the Alpha to her. The independent contact in this case was V.I.C., the AI in charge of running the Blood Gulch simulation. Doing this would both ensure the safety of the Alpha and also make sure that Agent Texas would be in a place where she could not find out more about Project Freelancer. Recollections The Counselor was first seen interrogating Agent Washington during a flashback in Recovery One. He returns in Reconstruction: Chapter 1, interrogating Private Walter Henderson about the event caused by Omega and the Meta at Valhalla. He then sends Washington to Blood Gulch in order to find more information about the Meta's whereabouts. In Reconstruction: Chapter 19, the Counselor along with the Director try to convince Washington to not activate the EMP. However, this fails and Wash activates the EMP destroying all the A.I. and bringing Project Freelancer down. As a result, the Director fled before being put on trial while the Counselor was sent to prison. Alliance with Charon Industries After being charged for his part in Project Freelancer, the Counselor is imprisoned aboard the UNSC Tartarus. When Felix and Locus raid the ship to recruit the prisoners, the Counselor is noticed for his ingenuity during Felix's purge and is brought to the bridge where he confronts the two mercs, aware that the pirates are fighting Carolina and Washington. Despite Felix offering to kill Price, the latter remains calm and convinces them to keep him alive due to his mental knowledge of the Freelancers' weaknesses, as well as his knowledge of another prisoner who can aid them in their fight against the Blood Gulch Crew. After joining their ranks, Price and the pirates venture to Crash Site Alpha on Chorus, where Price informs Felix and Locus of his psychological sessions on Sharkface and assures that he will be a valuable asset to them. During one of their sessions, Sharkface prepares for his mission to kill Washington and Carolina and expresses his anger towards them for killing his comrades to the Counselor. He then asks Price how he ended up on the Tartarus in which Price explains that he believed in the wrong people and, when asked by Sharkface, admits that he would kill those who wronged him if he had the chance. Later on, Price is instructed to orbit the Tartarus around the planet, until Locus contacts him and asks to know more about the Meta. The Counselor tells Locus of the Meta's history as a Freelancer, Sigma's influence on him, and how the Reds and Blues killed him. The Counselor then notes Locus' change in behavior after his trip through the portal at the Jungle Temple and asks him if he wishes to know Felix's fear. Before Locus answers, Felix calls him over to join the other pirates. Felix then confronts Price and threatens to reveal his past affiliation with Freelancer to Sharkface, before logging him off. Death After the pirates' failed assault on Armonia, which led to both Doyle's death and a major loss in men, Felix and Locus head to the Purge to activate it, now in possession a functioning key. However, when the Blood Gulch Crew and Chorus armies initiate an attack at the Communication Temple, having acquired alien weaponry, Price, aboard the Tartarus, grows second thoughts towards the pirates' mission. He suggests taking the ship and leaving Chorus, but the Space Pirate on board attempts to kill him. However, Price, having stolen his pistol, kills the pirate and forces the pilot to fly the Tartarus away from the planet. Suddenly, however, a tractor beam (controlled by the New Republic) takes a hold of the ship and pulls it down towards the Purge, destroying both the ship and the Purge, and unknowingly killing Price. Personality Aiden Price is shown in the series to have a calculating and quiet demeanor towards those he interacts with. He's been seen to be quite sympathetic and understanding, as he shows concern for and helps the Freelancers while the Director is somewhat strict towards them. However, he knows of the crimes the faction was committing and was gleefully willing to torture Alpha to create more A.I., suggesting that he's very loyal to the Director and holds the law to no regard. Price is also very careful when he speaks; oftentimes making short pauses in his sentences to think of the proper words to finish with. This manner of speaking along with his intellectual vocabulary is demonstrative of his quiet and calculating personality. He is also shown to be very intellectual, manipulative and articulate. Even years after the destruction of Project Freelancer he is still shown to remember specific facts about each individual agent from the project, which he successfully uses to forge an alliance with Locus and Felix. Price's calm attitude also brings an attitude of obedience when talked down to or threatened. In the service of Project Freelancer, his suggestions were often disregarded and mocked by his superiors, with the Counselor quietly relenting. During his time with Charon and the Space Pirates, Price found himself working alongside more hostile allies, enduring not only bullying but threats as well. The hostile nature of his allies as well as the reality he'd be sent back to prison eventually caused Price's aggressive side to surface, leading him to kill an ally in self-defense and hold another at gunpoint in the name of self-preservation. Relationships The Counselor has developed many relationships with certain characters of the series; specifically, those associated with Project Freelancer and Charon Industries. Director The Counselor acts as the Director's right-hand man and the two seem to have a working relationship, though the Director is prone to overrule him at times. The Counselor is shown to advise cautious while the Director takes a more aggressive course. Despite working with him the most, the Counselor knows very little about the Director and his past. Following his incarceration, however, Price appears to have abandoned his loyalties to the Director, claiming he believed in "the wrong people." It is unknown if he ever discovered the Director's suicide. Washington Both Wash and the Counselor seemed to have a mutual respect for one another, though Wash has been shown to feel uneasy and suspicious around the Counselor. In their first encounter, detailed in the Red vs. Blue: The Ultimate Fan Guide book, the Counselor questioned Wash on his current status in the UNSC and even brought up an incident from Wash's past involving him injuring a bully, somewhat manipulatively testing if Wash would suit Project Freelancer. After the Epsilon incident, Price recruited Wash into the Recovery program, where their relationship took a turn for the worst. During an interrogation in Recovery One: Part Four, Wash blamed Price and the higher-ups of Project Freelancer for the Epsilon incident and secretly plotted the program's destruction after learning that Price had a hand in South betraying him. Washington unknowingly took his revenge when the Tartarus was pulled down from orbit killing Price. Carolina Like the other Freelancers, the Counselor knew very much about Carolina's psyche and characteristics, despite the two interacting very little on-screen. Price later utilized his knowledge of Carolina to help Charon Industries eliminate her and the people of Chorus. Although, Price, more specifically, used this knowledge to save his own life. Despite this, it is unknown if Price was aware that Carolina was the Director's daughter. Tex Because the Counselor was one of the few people aware of Tex being an A.I., he was largely responsible for her special treatment. Despite this, the two have been shown to interact minimally. In What's the "I" Stand For?, both the Counselor and Director told the Freelancers that Tex had completed her A.I. Theory courses. Later on, in Greenish-Blue With Envy, the Counselor speaks with Tex on her increased aggression. According to a log recorded by the Director in Check Your Local Listings, the Counselor's insistence on referring to Tex as a byproduct frequently frustrated the Director. Locus The two are shown to share a relationship of mutual respect and professionalism, though this relationship is strained in Counseling. When the two first meet, Locus, while suspicious, remains calm towards Price and allows him to speak to him and Felix. However, during their conversation regarding the Meta, later on, Locus tells Price that he's stepping his boundaries after the latter questions Locus' mental state. Felix While Felix had high hopes for his working relationship with Aiden, given he was impressed by his sharp mind and words, he grew to become disrespectful and annoyed by Aiden due to his knowledge of psychology, which gave Aiden great insight into Felix's mind. When Aiden was about to reveal to Locus what Felix feared the most, Felix implied he would reveal the former Counselor's background to Sharkface, who would likely kill Aiden if he found out. Felix distrusted Aiden so greatly that he ordered to have Aiden killed if he tried to start trouble on the Tartarus. Sharkface Sharkface did not seem to have much of a relationship with Price, however, from their one interaction, it was clear they were not friends. It also appears that the Counselor may have been afraid of Sharkface as he does not let him know of his connection to Freelancer, obviously because Sharkface would kill him. When Felix threatens to mention his connection to Sharkface the Counselor is silent, indicating he is indeed fearful of the Insurrectionist Pyromaniac. Chairman While the two have never met, his position as second in command of Project Freelancer made him a major enemy of the Chairman. Despite this, the Counselor unknowingly joins forces with him during the Chorus-Charon war, which Hargrove was likely unaware of. Church While the two have barely interacted, Price played a large part in Alpha's torture, making him one of Church's enemies. Although he was being manipulated, Church trusted the Counselor unaware about the truth about Price. Donut Aiden thinks very little of Donut. From their one conversation, Aiden comes to see that Donut is too stupid to matter or prove with any real information. He also came to believe Donut was insane to a lesser degree. Skills and Abilities Interrogations The Counselor is partially known for his interrogations throughout the series, using his kind demeanor to learn anything he wants to know. In his first appearance, he was seen interrogating Washington during a flashback in Recovery One about Wash becoming a Recovery agent. In Reconstruction: Chapter 1, he interrogates Walter Henderson about the event at Valhalla and learns about the Meta's increasing power. During a flashback in Catching Up, the Counselor spoke with Donut about the events of the Blood Gulch Chronicles. Intelligence Because of his occupation, Aiden Price shows great skill in analyzing people and is able to learn specific traits about them that others don't. During his interrogation with Wash in Recovery One: Part Four, the Counselor is able have the latter agree to a job as a Recovery agent, and learns about his refusal to work with an A.I. or Freelancer as a result. Much later in Prologue, the Counselor negotiates with Felix and Locus to have them hire him and uses his knowledge of Carolina and Washington's weaknesses to gain their trust. In addition, Price has be shown to consult with many high ranking individuals in the series, such as the Director, Felix and Locus. Due to his knowledge of the Freelancers he can be considered a very great threat to them, and an asset to those who oppose Project Freelancer. Kills The Counselor has not been shown participating in battle, but seems to know the factors of combat fighting as he directs the Freelancers on their missions alongside the Director. In Season 13, however, the Counselor kills a Space Pirate aboard the UNSC Tartarus in Great Destroyers, after finally exhausting his patience with the poor decisions of those around him. Price kills Pirate.png|1 Space Pirate Gallery 13 05 00004.png 13 05 00003.png 13 05 00002.png Trivia *The Counselor is the first confirmed African-American character in the series. *The Counselor's name is revealed to be Aiden Price in Prologue. *The Counselor was originally portrayed by a Halo 2 crew member in Recovery One: Part Four, but as the series progressed, he was given his own and more detailed character model. *Ironically, despite being one of the characters that interacts with the Director the most, the Counselor knows little to nothing of the Director's life or past, as he didn't know who Allison was or understand why Washington kept mentioning "goodbyes" during the Epsilon Incident. *Aiden's voice actor, Asaf Ronen, is both an improv actor and acting coach, having taught fellow voice actor John Marshall Reed, the voice of Director Leonard Church. Ironically, this is a role reversal of their respective characters, with Aiden answering to the Director. *The Blood Gulch Crew is completely unaware of his involvement with Charon Industries at the end of Season 13. References Category:Characters Category:Freelancer Category:Antagonists Category:Deceased Category:Charon Industries